Don Felder releases ‘Hollywood Victim,’ the latest track from his upcoming album

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder has shared another track from his upcoming album, The Vault – Fifty Years of Music, which will be released on May 23.

The latest is the track “Hollywood Victim,” a song he originally wrote in the early ’90s for the Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over tour. According to a press release, the track is a companion to the Eagles classic “Hotel California,” which Felder co-wrote with Don Henley and Glenn Frey. It’s described as “a scathing look at the allure and pitfalls of fame.”

The Vault – Fifty Years of Music, Felder’s fourth studio album, features a collection of newly recorded versions of songs he’s demoed over the past five decades. It features guest appearances by such artists as Toto’s Steve Lukather, David Paich and Greg Phillinganes; Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith; and drummer Gregg Bissonette and his brother, bassist Matt Bissonette.

The Vault – Fifty Years of Music is available for preorder now.

Felder has a few solo shows booked for April and May, with his next gig happening April 17 in Tacoma, Washington. He’s also set to join Styx and REO Speedwagon‘s Kevin Cronin on their upcoming Brotherhood of Rock tour, which kicks off May 28 in Greenville, South Carolina. A complete list of dates can be found at DonFelder.com.

Bill Burr blames Pearl Jam, not Nirvana, for killing hair metal: ‘You ended my thing’

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Comedian Bill Burr is once again in the headlines for his interaction with a ’90s rocker.

You may recall when Burr was surprised by Billy Corgan during an episode of the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast after the Smashing Pumpkins frontman suggested that they might actually be brothers. Now, Burr shares that he had beef with Eddie Vedder.

During an interview on Late Night Thursday, Burr said that, as a hair metal fan growing up, Pearl Jam was “the band that made me realize my youth was over.”

“They always say, ‘Nirvana knocked [hair metal] out,'” Burr said. “It was Pearl Jam. When Pearl Jam came, that was another one of those grunge Seattle bands, and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh my God, this isn’t ending!'”

“And then all my bands, Skid Row and all of them, were gone, and it was just these sad guys singing about being under a bridge and not being happy,” Burr continued. “I’m like, ‘What happened to nothing but a good time and ignoring all your problems with cocaine?'”

Burr got the opportunity to tell Vedder his Pearl Jam thoughts when they sat next to each other during the recent SNL50 Homecoming Concert special.

“I did it in a good nature, I was like, ‘Man, I hated your band, you ended my thing,'” Burr laughed. “He was cracking up.”

Burr said that now that he’s older he’s become a Pearl Jam fan, adding, “Do you know how long it took me to admit how great a band Pearl Jam is?”

Also during the interview, Burr shared that he plays AC/DC for his kids, and his son in particular has become a big fan.

On This Day, April 4, 1964: The Beatles held the top five spots on the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, April 4, 1964 …

The Beatles made chart history by holding the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.

The songs in the top five were “Please Please Me” at #5, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at #4, “She Loves You” at #3, “Twist and Shout” at #2 and “Can’t Buy Me Love” at #1.

The Beatles went on to become one of the most successful acts in the history of the U.S. charts. Over the course of their career, they have had 20 number one hits and 35 top-10 singles.

Their last #1 single was in 1970 with “The Long and Winding Road,” from the Let It Be album. Their last song to chart on the Hot 100 was the 2023 release “Now and Then,” which debuted at #7. It featured vocals John Lennon recorded on a demo in the late ’70s, along with new recordings from Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, and guitar parts George Harrison recorded in the ’90s during the sessions for the Anthology series.

First footage of Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen revealed at CinemaCon

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Movie theater owners at CinemaCon in Las Vegas got a look at the first footage of Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming film Deliver Me From Nowhere on Thursday.

According to Variety, attendees were shown a trailer for the film, and White was on hand to speak about the project, noting the pressure he felt to get the part right.

“It was incredible, challenging, and a dream come true. I feel really lucky. We all had Bruce’s blessing,” White said. “The film tells the story of a very pivotal moment, Bruce struggling to reconcile the pressures of success versus his past.”

The trailer gave attendees not only there first look at White as The Boss, but also of Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau. Strong was also in attendance at CinemaCon.

In one clip, White, as Springsteen, is at a New Jersey car lot, with the dealer saying, “I know who you are,” and White replying, “That makes one of us.”

The film centers on the making of Springsteen’s 1982 solo album Nebraska, and in a voiceover Strong talks about the making of the record.

“When Bruce was little, he had a hole in the floor of his bedroom. A floor that’s supposed to be solid? He’s supposed to be able to stand on, Bruce didn’t have that,” he says. “Bruce is a repairman. What he’s doing with this album is, he’s repairing that hole in his floor. Repairing that hole in himself. Once he’s done that, he’s going to repair the entire world.”

The trailer also provided the first taste of White’s vocal chops, with the clip ending with a snippet of White giving a live performance of the Springsteen classic, “Born to Run.”

So far there’s no exact release date for Deliver Me From Nowhere, although it will reportedly come out in late 2025.

How ‘speed demon’ Elton John & Brandi Carlile made ‘Who Believes in Angels?’ in 20 days

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote the songs for the 1973 double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in just 2 1/2 weeks, with Elton sometimes knocking out a tune in 30 minutes or less. So it’s not surprising that Elton’s new album with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels? — which also features songwriting from Bernie and producer Andrew Watt — took just 20 days to complete.

Watt tells ABC Audio, “Elton is like a speed demon. It almost makes him feel good to work at a rapid rate — not to rush things, but, like, he’ll want to know exactly how long it took him to write that song, how long was he in the [vocal] booth,” comparing Elton to Michael Jordan checking “how many baskets he made.”

“It’s painful and beautiful at the same time,” Watt adds. “And [Elton’s] so hard on himself. You’ve never seen someone harder on themselves.”

But everyone else pushed just as hard. Notes Watt, “Once we started rolling, [the songs] just fell out. … It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, we got 20 days to do this.’ It was more like, that’s what it took. So these guys said everything they needed to say.”

And the new album has something else in common with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The exact same drum kit Elton’s drummer Nigel Olsson played on that album was used on the new album’s title track.

“I was really kind of a stickler about what I wanted the drums to sound like,” Watt notes. So Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who played drums on the record, tracked it down.

“Through his research … he found that Ben Stiller owns the kit that Nigel played on the album,” says Watt. “So he lent us the kit for the album.”

First official biography of The Band’s Richard Manuel coming in May

April 4, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

The life of The Band‘s Richard Manuel will be celebrated in a new biography due May 28.

Called Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, from the Hawks and Bob Dylan to The Band, the book by Stephen Lewis includes new interviews with Manuel’s musical colleagues, including Eric Clapton and Van Morrison, as well as friends and family, plus commentary on Manuel’s songs and performances.

Born in Stratford, Ontario, Manuel was one of The Band’s three main vocalists, as well as its pianist. He also contributed drums, organ and other instruments to the group’s records. In addition, he wrote or co-wrote a number of The Band’s songs. He died by suicide in 1986.

The book details Manuel’s early beginnings as a musician in Canada and his time in The Hawks — the group that became The Band. Also covered is The Hawks’ stint as Bob Dylan‘s backup band; their later musical collaborations with Dylan — including the Manuel/Dylan co-write “Tears of Rage“; and The Band’s own subsequent success.

The book, announced on The Band’s official Instagram page on April 3, which would have been Manuel’s 82nd birthday, is available for preorder now.

Elton John says if his new record had been a solo album, ‘I would’ve killed myself’

April 3, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Elton John‘s new album, Who Believes in Angels?, is a collaborative project with his pal Brandi Carlile, because he says the last thing he wanted to do was make a solo album.

Speaking to Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Elton says that when his farewell tour was over and he decided to start recording, “I knew that I didn’t want to make the same album again.” He notes, “I wanted the album to move forward, because I’m always trying to look forward. If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.”

Elton says that’s why he “needed” Brandi for the project, which is due out Friday. “I needed her talent, her energy, her humor, and her brilliant lyrics,” he tells Zane. “I’ve got two of the greatest lyric writers in the world, Bernie Taupin and Brandi Carlile. The lyrics in front of me, if you can’t write great songs for those … that’s my great talent, to be able to interpret those beautiful lyrics quickly. When we got going, it was like, whoosh, like an express train.”

Elton reveals, “I needed her to push me. I needed Bernie to push me. … I was scared. I was very scared. I wanted to make this album, and I knew what I wanted it to sound like, but that’s all very well. You’ve got to actually do it. I had a lot of fear, which is great. But I took it out on other people, which is not so great.”

You’ll be able to see Elton taking it out on other people in Who Believes In Angels? Stories From the Edge of Creation, a short film that documents making the record. It’ll stream on Elton’s YouTube channel starting Saturday, which is also the day Elton and Brandi will appear on Saturday Night Live.

Neil Young shares clip of ‘When I Hold You in My Arms’ from upcoming ‘Coastal’ documentary

April 3, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Neil Young is giving fans a preview of his upcoming tour documentary, Coastal, which was directed by his wife, Daryl Hannah.

The rocker just shared a short clip from the film, featuring a performance of “When I Hold You in My Arms.” It’s a track that originally appeared on Young’s 2002 album Are You Passionate? and was then later reimagined for his 2023 acoustic album, Before and After.

Coastal follows Young on his 2023 Coastal tour, which marked his return to the stage following the COVID-19 pandemic. It hits theaters for one night only on April 17. Tickets are on sale now.

To coincide with the movie’s theatrical release, Coastal: The Soundtrack will be released on April 18, featuring 11 songs that were recorded in several cities. Young recently released a track from the album, a live performance of the song “Throw Your Hatred Down.” It originally appeared on the 1995 album Mirror Ball, which Young recorded with Pearl Jam.

Coastal: The Soundtrack is available for preorder now.

Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ joins Spotify’s Billions Club

April 3, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Metallica’s classic tune “Master of Puppets” is the latest track to join Spotify’s Billions Club.

The rockers shared on social media that they are “psyched” by the song’s latest milestone and thanked their fans for the support, adding, “Send it on its way to two billion, and listen to every member of the Billions Club.”

“Master of Puppets” is the title track of Metallica’s third studio album, which was released in 1986. The song was a top-40 hit for the band. In 2015 it became the first heavy metal song to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

More recently, the song had a pivotal role in the fourth season finale of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which sparked a renewed interest in the tune and a resurgence on the Spotify charts.

“Master of Puppets” is now the third Metallica track to join Spotify’s Billions Club, after “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters.”

Little Feat drops new ‘Strike Up The Band’ single, announces three-night Feat Fest

April 3, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Little Feat is giving fans another preview of their upcoming album, Strike Up the Band, which will be released on May 9.

The latest is the track “Midnight Flight,” which Little Feat’s Scott Sharrard says he wrote shortly after joining the band in 2020.

“Looking back on it, I feel like this song blends the sonic palate [sic] of Freddie King’s albums with Leon Russell and the sound we all love so much, which we heard on Little Feat’s ‘comeback’ album, Let It Roll,” Sharrard says. “It’s got that boogie feel that gets people up.”

“Midnight Flight” is available now via digital outlets.

In addition to the song, Little Feat just announced a three-night festival in upstate New York. Feat Fest 2025 will be held Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock and will be recorded for a possible live album.

Tickets for Feat Fest go on sale Friday.

Next up, Little Feat will hit the road for a new tour that kicks off May 5 in Rutland, Vermont. A complete list of dates can be found at LittleFeat.net.

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